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Amp for High School Marching Band

#41
GreyBeard said:
I'm a HS band director and I've used a few different rigs. The best I've used is a 200 Watt Yorkville with 1x15 speaker. We use a Jell battery pack and strap both of them onto a a 4 wheel wagon with blow up tires. I also insist on using a wireless (AT) That elliminates most of the shock hazzard. This year I'm marching the bass player in formation. I've put a set of head phones with a head phone amp lined out of the bass and daisy chained into the wireless transmitter. The amp sits on the sideline facing the band. We haven't had a chance to try this rig yet. The size of the amp is truly dependent on the size of the band. If you're trying to play with a 100 piece band with a lot of brass then you'll need at least a 4x10 or 2x15 with enough power to push it. (400 watts or more) My band is using 50 winds with 2 tubas so 1x15 and 200 watts is plenty. It's all about balance and the bass guitar really supports things on the field. I love the sound and what it adds.
Click to expand...
Got a chance to use this rig today. We only have like 47 players including percussion. 2 are tubas. Anyway, I only used a PV Minx sitting attop a jell pack battery with a inverter built in. (McCormicks and it is outstanding) I use an Audio Tech wireless into the amp. The player stays in formation using a Bass Ace with headphones chained into the AT transmitter. The player can hear themselves perfectly insync without any time delay. The bass amp sits on the side lines next to the conductors podium where it can do the most good. This rig works better than anything else I've tried and I don't see why it wouldn't for 6 string guitar or amplified Sax or anything else you might want to mic from the field.
 
#43
Thanks for ALL of the responses.
Bass Ace is on the way with some M-Audio earphones.
Due to the ongoing monsoon season here(serious chance of rain anytime, anywhere, any amount), we used an "expendable" Behringer keyboard amp(15, mid, tweeter) on "the cart". The cart carries the amp, inverter system, and wireless. The other school had "the cart" with a Roland keyboard amp(15 & small horn or tweeter).

Here's why an in-ear(Bass Ace) is needed....the amp was down on the track near the rhythm section(1st row of seats)....bass & tubas(1 for this game :eek: ) are on the top row:
083107TopOfTheStadium.jpg
 
#45
skidrawk said:
I'm pretty sure that's opposite.

Short throw = folded horn
Long throw = front loaded
Click to expand...

It's neither. There's no such thing as a 'long throw' bass cab. This explains why:
http://billfitzmaurice.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=999

OTOH, horns do have far higher sensitivity than direct radiators, so they will provide much higher output for the same wattage input and are a good choice where battery power is a necessity.
 
#48
After a couple of "experiments", the "old" Peavey with 1x15 is being used. Reasons:

1) Loud enough
2) Reliable(survived this long)
3) Can take being dropped off the 3-wheel, unstable trike used
4) Doesn't die when rained on
5) Produces "the sound" required for the part(low end)

Wireless unit(Sennheiser 172) also survived being dumped off the cart with no bent antennae and stayed locked on channel(caught on video). Now they have two people move it(one pulls, the other makes sure it doesn't turn over). The Sennheiser works great as the amp sits at the 50 yard line while the band walks all the way around the track to enter from the other side of the field at halftime shows AND son sits on the top row of stadiums with the tubas during the games.

Additional notes:
1) Zoom H4 records band also while the DadCam vids it
2) An LED tripod lamp works great to prevent this situation where the stadium lights were below the stands(!). What's shown below prompted the folding LED lamp purchase(we use 'em at work in control system cabinets that have no lighting):
Johnny090707.jpg
 
#49
who commented and offered excellent advice.
We(my son and I) had a great "season" and
he's gone on to place 3rd in the state of Texas in the bass guitar competitions(UIL, Jazz Bass). :hyper::hyper:

One picture of a lifetime:
100507J01Fxd2.jpg


Thanks again!
 
#51
Agreed.

Last year we had 4(small town) and a large brass section but many were seniors.
This year we only had 1 tuba :eek:
BandShot01FXd.jpg


Besides the "nobody wants to buy, rent, or carry that thing around" it seems the larger folks are getting taken by the sports programs(at least here).

My son graduates this year and next year there should be 3(the one stays and 2 move from Jr. High) and maybe a bass player my son has worked with but has a LONG way to go. I ALWAYS tell the tuba sections that bass rules.
 

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